Crystallographic controlled exsolution and metal partitioning in magmatic sulfide deposits

Abstract

Magmatic sulfide liquids are effective at concentrating a range of metals. Within magmatic sulfide systems pentlandite, an exsolution product of monosulfide solid solution (MSS), is the primary host of Ni, Co and significant concentrations of Pd. Over the last decade, LA-ICP-MS mapping has revealed non-uniform metal distributions and complexity to the metal patterns such as zonation and the linear alignment of elements. Whereas the compatibility and partitioning behavior of chalcophile elements during sulfide fractionation are well constrained, there is little knowledge on the crystallographic control exerted on metal distributions.In this study, LA-ICP-MS mapping of globular sulfides from the Crystal Lake Intrusion, Ontario (Canada), is complimented by EBSD analysis, revealing a strong crystallographic control on both the concentration of metals and pentlandite exsolutions. Elements considered incompatible in the high temperature monosulfide solid solution (MSS) phase (e.g., Cr, V, As, Pb, Ag, Bi and Pd) are preserved as a microfabric, showing preferential concentration in association with the (0001) basal plane of pyrrhotite and adjacent pentlandite. Where the [0001] axis is viewed perpendicular to the cut surface, the microfabric is considered to be an intersection lineation between the basal (0001) plane and the surface of the cut section.Pentlandite textures described in magmatic sulfide deposits include granular, fan and laths/blades. Our observations indicate that marginal pentlandite exsolutions, are in optical continuity with granular exsolutions, providing insights into the growth of pentlandite at MSS grain boundaries. We conclude that all pentlandite forms are crystallographically controlled by the hexagonal mineral system of MSS/pyrrhotite, with the [0001] c-axis of pyrrhotite corresponding to the 〈111〉 axis of pentlandite. This axis also acts as a twinning rotation axis for the two identified pentlandite orientations. Fan and lath textured exsolutions are considered geometrically equivalent structures, being reconstructed as flat disc–shapes developed parallel to the basal (0001) plane of pyrrhotite, which acts as a preferred nucleation site. A network of low-angle grain boundaries are recognized as hexagonal or rectangular structures within pyrrhotite, with the morphology shown to be dependent on the orientation of the crystals. As these features are again geometric equivalents, they can be reconstructed as intragrain hexagonal prisms. We speculate due to their localized development, that they could represent a plastic response of the pyrrhotite to accommodate the increase in volume suggested to be associated with late pentlandite exsolutions and thus are the result of static lattice recovery.The microstructural and trace element observations presented here provide new context to some of the common textural features of magmatic sulfide deposits, while importantly highlighting the strong crystallographic control on both metal distributions and sulfide textures. This study also importantly recognizes the dominance of hexagonal pyrrhotite within the ores of the Crystal Lake Intrusion and likely other magmatic sulfide deposits. This has implications for mineral processing as its non-magnetic properties can result in dilution of Ni-Cu-PGE ores and thus requires special attention for the flotation strategy.